In June 1993, revisions to the Pennsylvania School Code changed requirements for high school graduation from time spent in the classroom to mastery of 53 student learning outcomes. Districts were mandated to develop a strategic plan that included active community participation in implementing these new regulations. This study examined 17 districts…

This report describes a project to develop a tool to assist local schools and districts in choosing among various educational approaches to serving children and youth with disabilities in general education settings. The primary purpose of the study, its objectives, and the final product are described in the first chapter. The second chapter…

Assessment moderation is a procedure in which scorers or raters meet to achieve a consensus on scores assigned to student work. In the Science Education for Public Understanding Program (SEPUP), local teams of teachers met regularly at six sites nationwide to score student work, review methods of assigning scores, discuss and resolve discrepancies…

Efforts to reform the welfare system in the United States have been gaining momentum since the late 1980s. Critics have been arguing that states should receive federal waivers to create their own programs to encourage welfare recipients to find work. The thrust of the 1996 welfare reform act transfers control over welfare spending to the states.…

Designed to help community colleges establish institutional effectiveness programs, this workbook provides step-by-step instructions and sample forms from an effectiveness program developed by South Carolina's Midlands Technical College (MTC). Introductory sections provide an overview of institutional effectiveness and the reasons for implementing…

This report discusses the findings from two case studies of state use of discretionary funds under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B. The two states involved in the study were Michigan and Wisconsin. Documents and interviews were used to gather detailed descriptive information from both states regarding: (1) the…

This document discusses the benefits of telecommunications in education and provides information on how to implement an educational telecommunications program. The book is organized into six sections. The first gives an overview of telecommunications and notes reasons for going online. The second section examines factors such as how the classroom…

A marketing program implemented in 18 small, rural agricultural communities aimed at increasing enrollment in the daily religious classes held by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Approximately 23 percent of the population in the 18 communities belong to this Church. Daily religious instruction is provided in released-time…

School Development Plans (SDPs) were pioneered by individual schools and local education authorities (LEAs) in England as a grassroots approach to school management that was eventually adopted by national education authorities. An empirical investigation of the implementation and impact of SDPs was carried out in primary schools through a…

As a result of a study by the California Postsecondary Education Commission on the feasibility of extending secondary school-community college articulated career programs to the baccalaureate degree level, the 1988-89 state budget provided $410,000 to support the development of a 3-year 2 + 2 + 2 pilot program. In November 1988, 18 projects were…

This report presents a concise and useful overview of the issue of business/education partnerships to develop and implement workplace literacy programs. The first chapter focuses on the challenges of developing a literate work force for Florida. It considers the changing workplace and work force, Florida trends in illiteracy, the impact of…

A process description and preliminary evaluation are provided for the Weed and Seed initiative in Springfield (Illinois). This initiative involved local, state, and federal resources in projects that included (1) facility improvement, (2) drug prevention, (3) youth education and child care, (4) jobs and vocational training, (5) resident…

This implementation manual has been developed to describe four model mathematics and science programs designed to increase African-American students' interest in mathematics and science. The manual will help affiliates of the Urban League to mobilize existing community resources to achieve the goals of the national education initiative. The four…

The 1992-93 school year marked the first year of implementation of the statewide mandate of the Arizona Student Assessment Program (ASAP), which revised previous legislation. Iowa Test of Basic Skills testing requirements were restricted to grades 2 and 7, and districts were allowed greater flexibility in their own testing, which had previously…

An overview of cost analysis is provided as it relates to a particular educational reform--the use of performance or authentic assessment on a large scale as a means of transforming entire educational systems. The focus of the inquiry is the New Standards Project (NSP), a joint effort of the National Center on Education and the Economy and the…